We have written about the great convenience of the ShortStich private shopping service before. The idea is that you fill out the (very straightforward) questionnaire to indicate what sort of occasion or activity your child needs clothes for (for example school, sports, or party), and a personal stylist will put together a box of clothes, taking into account their size, lifestyle and personality. They can include options for shoes, coats, sleepwear and accessories too, if needed. The ‘Box of YAY!’ is then delivered by courier to your house, and will contain options for a few different outfits. The children can try on everything in the comfort of your own house (how easy!), and then you decide together which pieces you love most and would like to keep. The rest can simply be put back into the box, which will be picked up by a courier at a time of your convenience. You only pay (regular retail prices) for those clothes you decide to keep — the service itself and courier costs are free!

I’ve been so impressed with the great outfits ShortStitch have suggested when we tested their service for Ava and Casper. Their service actually feels a bit like shopping in a really good boutique — where the shopping assistant looks at your body, style and personality, and then grabs a few outfits from the racks which you wouldn’t have laid eyes on yourself. But once you have put them on, you know they are just perfect: slightly pushing the boundaries of your own style, but so fitting for your shape and personality. ShortStitch have always come up with original choices for my children — not ones I would necessarily have made myself, but surprisingly fresh and fitting.

This year, for the first time, ShortStitch has put together a ‘Christmas Box of YAY!’. The concept is that the stylist selects outfits for your children to wear on Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day, and then for Boxing Day as well. I love the idea of this — how nice for parents to be able to tick one box of our giant to-do list in this tremendously busy time of year! I decided to test the Christmas box for Ava and Pim, and I couldn’t wait to see where Niamh, our ShortStitch stylist, would come up with!

The (by now well-recognised) ShortStitch box was delivered this weekend, and together with Ava and Pim we had such fun discovering the contents. Niamh put in fun letter-prints and a festive candy cane for each of them (she was so thoughtful to include one for both Casper and Sara as well). There was a nice letter, and a sweet Christmas card as well. The care with which the ShortStitch boxes are put together says something about the care with which the team selects clothes, I think. All beautiful choices, from great, high quality brands.

For Christmas Eve there were some sweet pyjamas, and then there were fabulous outfit choices for Christmas Day and Boxing Day as well — all neatly folded and carefully labeled per day and per child. A few fun details like hair clips and a cute bag for Ava, and fun face gloves for Pim were included as well.

The pyjamas Niamh included for Christmas Eve are so cosy and cute. Both Pim as Ava loved their choices, and putting on their new pj’s immediately brought them in the Christmas spirit! (A good time to bring out our stack of Christmas books!)

We loved the more proper styles for Christmas Day — the kids enjoyed trying the different options, and settled on an outfit they especially loved — perfect for the holidays but also for many more occasions to come. Ava felt like a princess in her outfit (I guess you can tell?)!

And then there were the relaxed, but still festive, outfits for Boxing Day — smart choices, but sturdy. Perfect for a walk in the woods, endless play, and school days. And how fun are those gloves?

Receiving this Christmas Box of YAY! has been such fun — Ava and Pim loved the selections ShortStitch made for them. And for busy parents, this service again proves to be a huge help. So fun, and so easy!

xxx Esther

This post is sponsored by ShortStitch, a personal shopping service we love and a member of our shopping portal.

Hi Helena, the Shortstitch service is completely free! I didn’t choose to discuss the individual items as I wanted to highlight the service they offer. Shortstitch always sends a personalised box with different items, depending on the client’s preference, size, etc. But you can email Shortstitch if you have a specific question about the items they sent me. They’re super nice and helpful!
You can see a list of brands they work with here: http://www.shortstitch.com/brands. And you can get an idea of prices here too: T-Shirts between £20 and £40. Knits between £50 and £90. Jackets between £75 and £125. Very reasonable to me, given the fact that they only work with high quality labels. Hope you will try their service, it’s really fun and super handy! x

Niamh

December 5, 2016

Hello Helena,

I would be delighted directly with any questions you may have. You can drop me a line at niamh@shortstitch.com.
We make shopping easy for busy parents giving you new brands and new ideas. As Esther said, the whole service is free of charge, including shipping and returns. We charge the recommended retail price of the items, there is no surcharge at all.
We work with over 20 brands and tailor each box to the specific child’s taste.
Please let me know if you have any other questions and I would be delighted to help! Niamh x

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